Fire, Forests, and Communities

Wildfires and Northwest Forests

Wildfire is a natural occurrence in dry forests throughout the West. Many plant, insect and wildlife species have adapted over eons to benefit from or even require a natural and regular fire cycle.

We’re working with state and federal agencies, elected officials, local residents and other organizations to push for state and regional policies that support forest resilience and community preparedness. We’re also represented on the Washington Prescribed Fire Council to help restore natural low-intensity fire cycles to dry forests across the state.

Bureau of Land Management firefighters ignite a controlled or prescribed burn, one important tool to restore habitat and forest health, and protect local communities. Photo: BLM

Science shows logging alone will not solve our wildfire problems. A combined approach of selective thinning, prescribed burning and greater preparedness is the best solution to improve forest health and protect communities.

Our Forest Field Program works on state and federal forests and grasslands, with one of our goals being more resilient forests and watersheds—meaning they’re capable of withstanding natural disturbances, including those bolstered by climate change—as well as safer towns and communities. Over the years, we’ve shaped key parts of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest’s Restoration Strategy and the Colville National Forest’s Collaborative Landscape Restoration Project, which guide federal actions to restore landscape and stand conditions disrupted by decades of fire suppression and harmful logging.

Fire and forests talking points

Federal lands and environmental regulations are not to blame for our recent wildfires. The extreme weather we experienced in 2015 made nearly everything more susceptible to burning across state, private, tribal, and federal lands. Of particular note were heavily-logged areas that burned just as hot as everything else. A large proportion of the fire (and the most expensive and damaging fire) was shrub-steppe, grasslands and sparse forests.

Restoration projects, including forest thinning and controlled and prescribed burning, have been shown to improve forest resilience and wildfire response and suppression. Restoration projects have also served as important beachheads for fire crews working to contain fires near communities. Social and financial factors limit the use of effective prescribed and controlled burning treatments.

Wildfires are a natural part of healthy wild landscapes. However, we must work to prepare for fire by increasing forest resilience and community awareness and planning.

Landscape evaluations identify thinning and burning priorities, as well as watershed restoration work to improve ecological resilience over large areas.

In some places, with proper community preparedness, fires can do forest restoration work for us by killing small trees and pruning large ones. Letting fire work for us can be helpful, but to do so requires increased community preparedness so we can allow more fires to burn.

Logging alone will not solve our wildfire problem. A combined approach of selective thinning, prescribed and controlled burning and greater community preparedness is the best solution.

Letting standing dead or “snag” trees remain after wildfire helps wildlife and forests recover following wildfire. Learn more about the value of snags.

Harvesting big trees that remain after a fire has been a growing trend in the West, but the practice is now being heartily questioned by both scientists and the public. A growing number of studies today show post-fire logging does nothing to restore the landscape, though that might be the intent. Logging following fires actually harms land, water and forest, and delays ecosystem recovery.

Leaving trees standing after wildfires:

Leaves the stand structure that provides shade and cover for other young trees and seedlings. Post-fire logging also kills naturally-regenerating seedlings through the direct disturbance of logging machinery. Natural fires often burn in a patchy fashion, leaving green trees behind, which can be harmed in the logging process.

Reduces fire risk, since logging leaves behind many fine fuels of branches and slash, providing tinder for new flames.

Aids all wildlife by leaving the large, recently-killed trees, either standing or on the ground, that provide critical cover and habitat for recovering wildlife and plant life.

For many decades following fire, trees, both dead and alive, have powerful, irreplaceable value as wildlife habitat. Standing, broken-topped live or dead trees in burned forests provide homes and food for a myriad of birds, insects and other wildlife. They are a valuable foundation for the healthy recovery of future forests.